Choosing the best party members for *Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition* can feel daunting with the game's extensive roster of characters and seemingly similar classes. To help you navigate this complex RPG, our guide highlights the top five party members and explains why they stand out.
Elma
Elma, the first party member you can recruit, is far from the weakest. Her class, Full Metal Jaguar, is one of the best in *Xenoblade X*, and her AI excels in utilizing it across various scenarios. Key skills like Ghostwalker, which creates a decoy, and Ghost Factory, which enhances party evasion, should be prioritized for leveling. Elma also boasts a range of strong, position-based attacks. While she may experience downtime as she repositions, her role as a hybrid tank, support, and offensive unit is invaluable. With numerous self-buffs that boost her critical hit rate and the ability to instantly gain 1,000 TP for powerful skills, Elma is a crucial asset, especially since she's required for most story missions.
Irina
Irina stands out as the game's premier supporter, even surpassing other support specialists like Hope. She excels at healing, removing debuffs, and boosting party evasion, making her an essential ally if Elma's Ghost Factory is unavailable. Irina also generates TP for the party, albeit at the cost of her own, through skills like Energy Source and Last Stand. While she won't be the one to take down enemies single-handedly, her role is to ensure the party's longevity in battle. Pair her with one or two strong attackers to avoid prolonged fights.
Nagi
If you're not playing as a Duelist, Nagi is a must-have. As one of the few Duelists in *Xenoblade X*, he's a self-sufficient damage dealer capable of handling enemies at close and long range, with access to area-of-effect abilities. His signature move, Blossom Dance, is exceptionally powerful, ignoring enemy resistances and capable of defeating even the toughest foes in one or two hits. To maximize Nagi's effectiveness, pair him with a supporter like Irina or use Mastermind skills to debuff enemies.
Mia
Mia, a Psycorruptor with the versatility of a Drifter, is a jack-of-all-trades. She can debuff enemies, reducing their resistance to further debuffs, and deal significant damage with attacks like Beam Barrage and Myopic Screen, the latter of which can cause blackout. Her attacks are enhanced by active auras, and she can even topple enemies. However, Mia lacks self-defense and healing capabilities, so ensure she's teamed with members who can cover these weaknesses.
H.B.
H.B. serves as an excellent substitute for Lin when you need enhanced defense. As a Shield Trooper+, he surpasses Lin in every aspect, excelling in drawing enemy attention, which is particularly useful if you're playing an aggressive class or have members like Elma or Nagi in your party. H.B. can generate TP with his taunt attack, increase debuff resistance, boost ranged attack power, topple enemies, inflict debuffs, and create a sturdy shield. If you're struggling to survive outside the main storyline, completing H.B.'s affinity mission to recruit him is highly recommended.
